By DSL14 (blujac8@njsurfnet.net)
Summary: Hurt feelings ensue when Clark arrives at Lois' apartment to find Dan Scardino there — and Lois wearing a bathrobe.
***
Lois was all excited, "This is it, girl," she told herself. It was 5:00 in the morning, a bit early for her to be up but she couldn't sleep anymore. She was waiting for Clark to take her to breakfast. They had been dating seriously for about three weeks now ever since she told Scardino to take a hike. She knew Clark and Superman were one in the same because he told her on their third date when he had to run off yet again. She had been angry with him, but he apologized and said, "I love you," and her anger was melted by his kiss. She thought about that night and about her plans for today, she was going to do it, she was going to propose!! "OK, Lane, you're a 90's woman and if he hasn't figured out that we should spend the rest of our lives together than you'll just have to show him!!…and now I'm talking to myself, great."
Little did she know that Clark had the same idea. He ran around his apartment at super-speed getting ready. He was wearing his charcoal suit and a tie that Lois had bought him for Christmas.
She was lost in thought when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, no, he's early and I'm still in my robe," she thought. Then she got an evil grin on her face and said, "I'll be right there," and walked toward the door loosening her belt to show off a little more, well, everything. She unlocked the door without looking through the peep-hole and ran back to the couch leaning back on the arm facing the door she yelled, "Come on in!"
The door opened and a voice said, "Well, Lois, I must say I didn't expect to be THIS welcome."
"DAN?! What the hell are you doing here??" Lois screamed and fell back over the couch. "I thought you were Clark!" Then she ran to her room to get dressed just as there was another knock. Dan answered the door, "Kent, hey we were just talking about you. Lois just went to get dressed."
"SCARDINO?? What are you doing…" Clark said a bit confused. Before he could finish his sentence Lois came out of her room still wearing her newly retied robe.
"Oh my God, Clark. Wait," she uttered knowing exactly what it looked like.
But he didn't hear her. "I thought…I mean I trusted…" Clark was hurt and angry and very confused, "I don't believe this…Lois???" He was just babbling now.
"Dan! Get out now!!!" Lois yelled tears welling up in her eyes.
"No," Clark said, "I'm leaving," he turned to Lois, but couldn't look in her eyes, "I told you everything about me…that I loved you…everything!" Now tears were flowing from both of their eyes and, as he turned to go, he took the small box from his pocket, looked at it one more time, and pushed it into Scardino's hand. "I hope you are both very happy together!" and he left closing the door behind him.
"CLARK?…" Lois called and ran to her door, tears streaming down her face, but when she opened the door he was gone.
"No," was all she could say. Then she turned to Dan, "Why didn't you say anything? How could you do this to me? I told you I didn't want to see you again; that I wanted Clark, I've always wanted him. Now because of you, I've probably lost him forever!!"
Her tears turned to rage and anger then back to tears when she saw what Clark had given Scardino. She grabbed the box and opened it. Inside there was the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen and coming from the box was the tune of 'Fly Me To The Moon'.
"Oh, God…" she was hysterical now and Dan tried to give her a comforting hug, "Scardino, stay away from me, don't touch me, just get out!!!"
He left without a word and Lois slumped down in her couch just staring at the box in her hand muttering, "No, Clark, no, no…Please, no."
She decided work would be the best place to be even though he would be there. She got dressed and washed her red face and got into her car. As she turned the key she remembered all the times they had ridden to work together and she cried again driving down the street.
***
Clark was at his desk staring at the blank screen in front of him. Perry was watching out of his office window and could tell he was extremely upset. "Oh no," he said as the elevator doors opened and a puffy-eyed, red-faced Lois stepped out.
She saw Clark right away and started towards his desk when Perry opened his office door and yelled, "Lois, honey, can you come in here a minute?" As she walked past Clark's desk she couldn't help herself to touch his shoulder, but he pushed her hand away.
She walked into Perry's office and the concerned look on his face caused her to break down once more. "Oh, Perry, it's over," she cried and he hugged her. "I've done something, or he thinks I have, and I don't know how to convince him."
"Slow down honey, now start from the beginning and tell me what happened." She calmed down and told him every detail of the morning, her plans, Dan, everything. Then she handed him the ring box.
"DEA Agent Daniel Scardino, I should have guessed he was the cause of this." he said when she finished.
Lois was thinking to herself, "The funny thing is I was going to propose to him today. The worst thing that I imagined happening was that he would say he needed more time to think and we would still keep dating until we were both ready to settle down and he had the same idea! Now I've lost him, not only the one person who I have ever really loved, not only the one person who's really loved me, but the only best friend I've ever had."
She asked him, "What am I going to do, Perry? I don't think he'll even talk to me."
***
While Lois and Perry were talking Jimmy saw Clark still sitting at his desk and walked over to him, "Hey, C.K., man you look bummed."
"You could say that, Jimmy."
"What happened?" he asked.
So, needing to talk to someone, Clark told Jimmy the events of the morning from his point-of-view. He was just finishing when Perry's door opened and Lois hugged him again and walked out.
"Well, it doesn't sound like Lois to me, C.K." Jimmy said quietly.
"It doesn't sound like her to me either, but I'm so confused."
As Lois walked back towards them, Jimmy pretended to have to show Perry something and ran into his office. She took a deep breath and walked up to Clark's desk, "Clark, can we please talk now?" she pleaded. Then he got that I-hear- someone-in-trouble look on his face and she said, "What is it? What do you hear?"
All he said was, "Tell the Chief I went for donuts," and he ran to the elevator.
"Sometimes I think he does that just to get out of talking!" She said annoyed, and sat down at his desk to wait for his return.
***
When he got back about 20 minutes later carrying a bag of donuts, he saw her still sitting there looking at the picture on his desk which was of the two of them at the Smallville Corn Festival. He wanted to get back on the elevator and fly off, but he knew that wouldn't do any good so he just kept walking toward his desk.
***
Lois saw him coming and saw the donuts and figured he did just go to get away from her just then the TV monitors flashed a news break and the announcer said, "We've just received word that Superman has saved a bus full of nuns from falling off of the Metropolis City bridge that was about to collapse. More of this story at 11."
Feeling bad about doubting him Lois stood up and went back to her own desk as he approached. He saw that she had left the ring box on his desk. He sat down and picked it up and played with it in his hand. He didn't notice that Lois was standing over him yet again, "Clark, OK, can we talk now or is there some kitten in a tree that needs to be saved?" She said angrily even though she knew that he had to go before.
"I don't know what to say, Lois."
"Don't say anything; just listen, OK?"
Just then Perry appeared at his office door and cut Lois off, "Clark, come here, Son."
Lois gave Clark that don't-you-dare-walk-away-now look but he said, "It might be important. We will talk later I promise."
"If it's not one thing it's another!" Lois said to herself.
***
Inside Perry's office Clark sat down and Perry didn't beat around the bush. He got straight to the point. "Now, son, I'm not going to get in the middle of whatever is going on between you and Lois because she wants to talk to you herself. I just want to ask you to listen to her and remember she chose you. Now, I won't pretend to know what that …son-of-a…I mean Scardino was doing there, but that's something you should find out before you make any drastic choices."
"I know, Chief and I promise I will listen to Lois," he said earnestly.
***
They talked for a long time and Lois used the opportunity to call the only other person that she could talk to about Clark, both sides of him, Martha. The phone rang twice then a very familiar voice said, "Hello…" It was Martha.
Lois paused for a moment realizing that she was talking to his mother, "Umm, hi, Martha it's…"
"Lois, hi." She noticed a strange sound in Martha's voice and realized it was anger mixed with hurt.
"Yes, I just…well I assume you've talked to Clark…and…"
There was a moment of silence, then, "Lois, I don't know if I can talk about this now…"
"Oh, please don't hate me. You are closer to me than my own mother. I would never do anything to hurt you or Clark," Lois cut Martha off panic stricken.
"I don't hate you, Lois, I just think you should be talking to Clark instead of me. You do that and I will call you tonight to see how you are…Now, goodbye, Dear."
"Bye Mo…Martha." She hung up and felt a hand on her shoulder. she covered this hand with hers and said, "Oh Clark, I…" as she turned around her hope faded. "Scardino, go away!!!!"
"Aw, come on, Lois, I know you can't stay mad at me forever and now that Kent is out of the picture I figured you and I…"He said with a smug smile on his face.
Neither of them noticed that Clark was out of Perry's office and was watching, and listening to them from across the room.
"You figured WHAT??? ARE YOU INSANE?????"
Clark smiled in spite of himself when he remembered the first time Lois had ever said that to him. It was when they had to pose as a honeymooning couple and they had the camera equipment set up in the bedroom when he heard someone coming. He tossed the equipment under the bed and then pushed her onto the bed and started kissing her just as the maid came in.
Her voice brought him back to the present and he continued listening.
"First of all, Kent, as you refer to him, is not even close to being 'out of the picture' and even if he told me he never wanted to see me again I still wouldn't give you a second look!!!"
"You'll change your mind when you're sitting alone on a Saturday night. Don't think Superman could even change the feelings I know you have for me."
Oh, she was really mad now and was about to slap him when Clark walked over.
"Scardino, I have work to do and so does Lois. You can see her tonight, but I'd rather have my eyes poked out than see your face ever again. So unless you have 'Planet' business I suggest you leave." He threatened him and since it was the end of the day he walked Dan to the elevator, waited until it was gone then headed toward the stairs to the roof and minutes later Superman flew off to his apartment.
***
Later that night, Lois was sitting on her couch, wearing an old pair of sweats and a T-shirt, crying into a gallon of double-fudge chocolate ice cream, and listening to 'Fly Me To The Moon' on her CD player. A sudden gust of wind through her open window caused her to look up and Superman was standing in front of her.
"Hi," he said solemnly.
"Hello, Clark, uh, want some ice cream? No, of course you don't. Oh God, OK just listen, it was all a mistake. He just came by unannounced," she started.
"I kn…" he started but she interrupted him.
"No, don't say anything just let me finish…I know it looked bad because I was in my robe walking out of my bedroom, but I can explain. I was getting ready for breakfast with you and I started daydreaming about when we first met and our first date and I just didn't realize how much time had passed." She had tears in her eyes as she was talking and was looking at her feet so she didn't notice that Superman had changed back into Clark and was now standing very close to her.
"But you know it's your own fault. If you weren't always so early you wouldn't have even seen him…Oh, that sounded bad, good going, Lane, dig your grave deeper!!" She said that last comment to herself, but he heard it. She broke down.
He knew it was his turn to explain and she was surprised when he kissed the top of her head and sat her down on the couch before sitting next to her. "I'm so sorry, Lois, I didn't mean to jump to conclusions. It was just that this morning I thought that the one thing that I had been most afraid of had happened."
She looked into his eyes, "I don't understand. What were you afraid of?"
"I was afraid that after you knew my secret that it would be too much for you and you would want to settle down with a normal person who wouldn't always be running off."
Not meaning to, she smiled and said, "And you think that Scardino is normal?? Clark, you told me the reason why you always run off, and yes, I used to get a bit upset when you ran off and gave me those weird excuses…"
"A bit upset??" He smiled back.
"OK, a lot upset, but I thought you were just trying to avoid me! I had no idea that you were, are who you are!!!" She was back to her old self, "So you forgive me?"
"I have nothing to forgive. I just hope you forgive me…Although I never really blamed you, but if I ever see Scardino again…well let's just hope I don't. I mean I thought he might have gotten you back under his spell like the way you used to swoon over…" she cut him off at that.
"Excuse me?? Lois Lane, ace reporter, has never swooned over any man…"
"…Superman," He continued.
"Oh, well, I mean never over any HUMAN man!!! But I'll forgive you…under one condition…" She said with a glint in her eye.
"OK and that is?????"
"Marry me!" And she opened a ring box that she had planned to give him that horrible morning.
"Wha…" He was clearly stunned, "When did you get that??"
"The day after you told me your secret."
"I don't under…"
"That was when I realized you loved me and trusted me as much as I did you, and I decided that the worst that could happen is that we'd need more time. I never imagine any of this." Her eyes were tearing up again, this time out of joy.
"Oh, you want me to answer now?" He said raising an eyebrow.
"Clark!!!! Yes, it would be nice." She normally enjoyed his teasing, but not now.
He put on his most serious face, stood up, and looked around, "Well, if we knock down the wall over here we could make a great hiding place for the suits…"
She ran up and hugged him around the neck, "I love you too, Clark!!!! But, who said we would live in my apartment???" She smiled and kissed him and their dreams of a life together were shattered and realized all in the same crazy day.
THE END
Well, how was it?? Kind of strange, I know. But, it's the first one I have completed. Feedback, positive or negative, is always welcomed, especially since my mom is the only one who's read this and she had to say she liked it! Email me at blujac8@njsurfnet.net
Forgive me if it resembles any other stories, it was purely unintentional.
(scardino.txt)